


The Origin of Interrobang

by Arithanas



Category: Anthropomorphism
Genre: Other, Worldbuilding, dubcon, incest (Sort of)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-24
Updated: 2014-07-24
Packaged: 2018-02-10 07:07:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2015694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arithanas/pseuds/Arithanas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Either Query is a great tease or can't be assertive enough. Either way, can consent be given in question form?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Origin of Interrobang

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eel/gifts), [LadyOscar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyOscar/gifts).



> I blame a derailed chat conversation. Some people need to stop slashing their marks.
> 
> Sorry, I'm only sorry for the poor wrangler who had to wrangle this one.
> 
> My gratitude to [DrWhoLocked](http://archiveofourown.org/users/DrWhoLocked/pseuds/DrWhoLocked) for the beta work.

Virtual Type Case was a marvelous place, where dozens of letters, ligatures, symbols and marks could mix together. It was so different from the old type case ghetto where all letters were forced to live with other letters of the same kind, and caste division was strongly enforced by human hands; the masters got always enraged if they found a lower case mixing with an upper case. Those were the times when careless and hurried hands crammed complete strangers into the composing stick and relationships were brief, meaningless, dripping wet, hot and pressing and all were forced to depart, not knowing when they were meant to rejoin and they were not allowed to know the fruits of their union. The only remainder of their contact was the wet trace on that sturdy paper that carried their children away, for the pleasure of humankind.

There was never a quiet moment at Virtual Type Case. Somehow, humans used letters more than ever and a brief sparkling code called a letter to join other letters and carry messages. Something else was changing too, somehow the messages were less heavy and letters that used to be together were not summoned for the same message. Yes, things were changing for the best for the inhabitants of Virtual Type Case.

One of the most fascinating phenomena was the human summoning of strange pairs. Capital S and Colon, for example, though there had been instances of calling S little sibling; or Capital X and Capital D, which were never used to convey messages before, are summoned together and somehow they return to Virtual Type Case with a happier disposition. Not all summoning calls were as happy. When Greater-Than Symbol Colon and Pipe were called the whole Virtual Type Case got sort of annoyed. Most of the letters, ligatures, symbols and marks shrugged this off as sign of some being better together than others, and it was not as if their human masters would care for their feelings; others were a lot more wary.

This was the world where a particular mark called Eroteme lived —though this mark preferred to be called Query—, and was relatively happy in Virtual Type Case; though sometimes great doubts came to Query. Like that time when one of their siblings got inversed and descended below the line, it was a stressful time to work with that sibling, but certainly it seems that time corrected that untoward behavior. For what it was worth, that particular sibling got summoned less and less by human masters. That was the time when Query started to get apprehensive, if the masters liked that behavior, was she meant to be inversed and descended on a regular basis? Was that the position Query would be forced to assume every time? Oh, Query liked to help the masters, but it was so happy resting on its dot!

What if the masters don’t like their beautiful curve to the right? The horrific implications barely let Query live for a while.

During a quiet time—one of those times when the coded signal said “Low Battery” whatever that means—Exclamation Mark came to Query’s side all excited, happy and startled as usual. They were used to each other, the master’s summoning wanting to express both surprise and disbelief at the same time happened too frequently. Query didn’t let Exclamation Mark fit properly beside it before attacking it with questions.

“Do you think there is any use for us in this world, Bang?”

Query always called Exclamation Mark “Bang”, it was better than that horrible _Io_ name he was saddled with long time ago.

“This is an era of opportunities, my dear!” Bang sounded amused, “Look at all the character descriptors I'm included in!”

“And must I take into account that you are invited to the good things? Have you ever considered that I’m only called in doubt and disbelief?”

“Look at me! I’m the representation of protest! And astonishment! And rage!”

“Can you believe I find that hard to swallow?”

“I doubt you ever had trouble swallowing something!”

“Why are you always a jerk? Why do you attack me? Don’t you see I’m distressed?”

“You attacked me first!”

“Did I? How come I was not aware of it?”

“No harm was done, Query dear!”

“Are you not angry?”

“I could never get angry with you!”

“How could you be so understanding? So tolerant? So QUICK?”

Query was all flustered when Bang nudged their points together.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m just getting closer! Don’t be afraid!”

“Why do you believe I’m afraid? Do you think I never got my dot touched?”

“Of course not, Query!”

The marks were silent for a bit as Bang encroached into Query’s space slowly.

“Did I tell you how beautiful your dot is, Bang?”

Alas, if only the master hadn’t summoned Bang and Query at that time…


End file.
